Ore-concentratiire- machiste



F. E. SMALL.

O-RE CONCENTRATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men APR. 11. 1919.

1 3Q9 3Q? Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- WITNESS: INVENTOR.

7 I figxe iewb k Jana.

A TTORNEY.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII 13., WASHINGTON, D. c.

F. E SMALL.

ORE CONGENTRAIING MACHINE.

WITNESS: INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK E. SMALL'OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ORE-CONCENTRATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application filed April 11, 1919. Serial No. 289,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. SMALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and My invention relates to ore concentratingmachines and particularly to a device of this character described in a former application made by me and filed January 27, 1919, Serial No. 273,253, and the object of my invention is to improve the construction of the concentrator by the provision of a yielding bed for the concentrator having facility for imparting undulatory motion longitudinally and trans 'ersely thereof and, at the same time, impart other trembling or arring motions and vibrations thereto.

I attain these objects and other advantages by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1, is a side elGVZIlZlOll, partly sectioned, of a concentrator constructed in accordance with my invention, and showing the yielding bed in operative position; Fig. 2, is an end view of the same, traveling scrapers being omitted, and showing the flexible supporting members forming the bed and the spools for guiding and limiting the motion of the concentrator, parts of my invention; Fig. 3, is a top plan view of one of the flexible supporting members, and showing the ball bearings carried thereby, parts of my invention; Fig. 4, is a vertical section through the flexible supporting member; Fig. 5, is a top plan View of the rigid portion of the flexible supporting member and, Fig. 6, isa plan View of the concentrator bed, and showing the flexible supporting members and guides positioned for receiving the concentrator.

Similar reference numerals refer to corre sponding parts throughout the several views.

The numeral 1, designates a concentrator constructed in accordance with my invention and which comprises a bottom plate 2, having a tank 3, mounted thereon and having curved end portions 4 and 5, the former being curved on a larger radius than the latter, the portion 4:, being the receiving end of the concentrator and the portion 5, the discharging end thereof, Where the tailings are dis charged through an opening 6. The inner side of the bottom of the tank is inclined in wardly to the center thereof. An inclined hollow concentrating table 7, is fitted in substantially one half of the floor of the tank and is provided on its upper side with inwardly inclined ridges S, and valleys 9, which terminate at the center of the concentrator. A gate 10, is revolubly mounted in the floor of the tank, at the terminal end of the concentrating table, and is adapted for opening and closing the lower ends of the valleys. A nipple 11, is secured in the outer end of the concentrating table and is in communication with the interior of the table and adapted for communication with a source of compressed air, not shown. The slopes of the valleys are provided with a plurality of air vents 12, which are located and adapt ed for venting compressed air at an angle across the valleys. Sprocket wheels 13, are mounted at opposite ends of the tank and are adapted for operating in the tank. A sprocket chain 14, is mounted on the sprocket wheels and is provided on its outer side with a plurality of transversely extending scrapers 15, which are adapted for carrying along and over the concentrating table and remove the tailings therefrom and discharge the same at the opening 6. A bridge 16, is mounted transversely on the tank and is provided with a series of transversely extending depending spaced apart curved plates 17, which, when immersed in the solution in the tank, form compartments 18. A depression pulley 19, is mounted on the inner side of the tank and is adapted for depressing the lower half of the sprocket chain. Projecting arms 20, are formed at the four corners of the tank, on the plate 2, and are extended longitudinally of the tank a suitable distance, for a purpose that will presently appear. A drive wheel 21, having a crank 22, is revolubly mounted on a power driven shaft and a connecting rod 23, is connected with the crank and with the end of the plate 2, in such a manner that the latter connection shall be flexible and yield to lateral movements of the concentrator. A coupling 2%, is secured on the plate 2, and is yielclingly connected with the connecting rod 23.

A sagging and yielding bed 25, is arranged in a horizontal plane and adapted for the reception of the concentrator proper, upon which bed, the concentrator may be reciprocated lengthwise thereof. The bed :25, comprises a base 26, which may be of anysuitable material, such as metal or concrete, preferably concrete, because of its well known durability and cheapness. Spools 27, are revolubly mounted on the plate 2, at or adjacent to the four corners thereof, and they are located and adapted for loosely receiving the projecting arms 20. The spools 27, are provided with flanges 28, hav ing suitable diametersto continually hold the projections 20, therebetween, and the body of the spools are arranged to have a length adapted for allowing lateral movement of the arms, when the concentrator moves laterally. A. plurality of individual flexible supporting members 29, are mounted on the plate :26, at any desired locations, preferably in rows, so that when they are standing vertical, the upper ends thereof will lie in a horizontal plane. The members 29, comprise a head portion 30, which is substantially of disk formation. A race 31, is formed in the peripheral margin of the upper side of the head and balls 32, are loosely lodged therein to form ball bearings for the bottom of the concentrator to facilitate reciprocation thereof on the bed, and asocket 33, is formed centrally in the lower side of the head. A rigid member 34, is mounted on the base 26, and is provided on its upper side with a socket 35. Dumb-bells 36, are arranged between the head and rigid member, the one spherical body thereof being entered in socket 33, and the other of them entered in socket 35, and thereby forming with the rigid member and the head a universal joint.

The concentrator proper is lodged on the head portions of the members 29, with the projections 20, loosely entered between the flanges on the spools 27, and the concentrator then connected with the crank on the drive wheel. The concentrator is then re ciprocated lengthwise of the bed and, during its reciprocated movements, the plane upper side of the heads 30, are continually presented to the lower side of the concentrator, thus permitting the ball bearings carried thereby to receive the concentrator. lVhen the members 29, are standing vertical the concentrator will be at a maximum elevation and the arms 20, will be positioned upwardly of the spools, but remaining between their flanges. lVhen the concentrator is reciprocated lengthwise of the bed, the ball bearings facilitate the travel thereof over the bed, but the race for the balls being annular there is a natural tendency in the ball hearings to deflect the concentrator from a straight line, to one side or the other thereof. \Vhen this happens the universal jointed members 29, automatically respond to the pressure and the concentrator sinks until the arms 20, impinge upon the spools 27, and carry thereon until the supporting members approach a vertical position. if, in the forward stroke, the forward end of the concentrator is deflected to the left of the bed, the supporting members will assume the position shown at 38, in Fig. 2. In the back stroke, the pressure on the supporting members is in the reverse direction an undulatory motion longitudinally of the concentrator and late-rally thereto which, with the commotion set up by the reciprocating movement, eflects a swirling wave motion substantially identical with the well known miners pan motion. At the same time the contact of the arms 20, with the spools, in the sinking of the concentrator, sets up vertical vibrations, and the contact of the arms with the flanges'of the spools, in the lateral movements of the concentrator, sets up vibrations in horizontal direction. W'hen the members 29, yield they are limited in degree by the spherical body of the dumb bel-l entered in the socket 83, coming to bear on the upper side of the rigid member Sl. The flanges on the spools function to detain and limit the lateral movements of the arms 20, to limit the lateral movement of the concentrator.

The above described motions, vibrations, and shocks, subject the solution in the concentrator to essentially necessary disturbances to effect segregation of mineral grains from their ores. The slimes carried by the solution are trapped in the compartments l8, and there subjected to the shocks and vibrations above mentioned, and thereby the slimes are completely saturated and forced to yield up their mineral grains. Air under pressure is admitted to the concentrating table and is vented across the valleys therein, at angles calculated to prevent silt and dirt from settling on the table with the min eral grains.

Having described my invention what I claim is- A motion reciprocating and motion imparting bed for reciprocating ore concen trators, consisting of a base plate, a plurality of individual flexible supporting members arranged on said base plate to yieldingly support the concentrator, said members comprising a substantially disk-shaped head portion provided on its upper side with an annular ball bearing adapted for conmembers Within fixed limits While it is restantly bearing on the lower side of the e0nciprocated lengthwise.

centrator and a universal joint connected be- Kansas City, Missouri, April 4th, 1919. tween the head portion and said base, and FREDERICK E. SMALL. guides mounted on said base and arranged Witnesses:

to. receive the concentrator and permit iat- J. W. BOWMAN,

eral movements thereof on said supporting F. E. KENNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. G 

